Posts on the 'What are you listening to?' thread seem to be mainly pop/rock etc., so I thought there might be some interest in a separate thread for classical music. Or maybe this will bomb. Still, worth a try. This week I've been enjoying Brahms, Lieder, Bernarda Fink/Roger Vignoles (Harmonia Mundi HMG 501926). Nothing insightful to say about it, but the music and performances are ravishing and the recording's excellent.

Listening to Janacek's Second String Quartet as I type - utterly heart-breaking I think. Was listening to the Pletnev / Maisky version of Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante for the first time in a long time a day or two ago.

Listening to Janacek's Second String Quartet as I type - utterly heart-breaking I think. Was listening to the Pletnev / Maisky version of Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante for the first time in a long time a day or two ago.

Listening to Janacek's Second String Quartet as I type - utterly heart-breaking I think. Was listening to the Pletnev / Maisky version of Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante for the first time in a long time a day or two ago.

Exhilirating playing from Maisky. And the Miaskovsky cello concerto also on the disc is haunting too. I really would recommend this disc.

I adore Janacek. The chamber music is, as you say, really powerful. All the operas are great: for some reason -- I think it's the blend of angular modernism, Slavic folk melodiesand seat-of-the-pants drama -- From the House of the Dead kills me every time. I've never managed to hear it in performance. One day ...

Listening to Janacek's Second String Quartet as I type - utterly heart-breaking I think. Was listening to the Pletnev / Maisky version of Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante for the first time in a long time a day or two ago.

Exhilirating playing from Maisky. And the Miaskovsky cello concerto also on the disc is haunting too. I really would recommend this disc.

I adore Janacek. The chamber music is, as you say, really powerful. All the operas are great: for some reason -- I think it's the blend of angular modernism, Slavic folk melodiesand seat-of-the-pants drama -- From the House of the Dead kills me every time. I've never managed to hear it in performance. One day ...

I'll check out the Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante. Good tip.

I remember seeing Jenufa about ten years ago and being mesmerised. Not familiar with From the House of the Dead though - i will check that out.

I know what you mean about Janacek- in fact, I find myself attracted to a lot of early twentieth century Easter European music for that Bartokian combination of traditional folk and modernist experimentation. Have you listened to much Szymanovski? The rhapsodic first violin concerto is pretty extraordinary stuff - check out the Zehetmair / CBSO / Rattle version on EMI.

Listening to Janacek's Second String Quartet as I type - utterly heart-breaking I think. Was listening to the Pletnev / Maisky version of Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante for the first time in a long time a day or two ago.

Exhilirating playing from Maisky. And the Miaskovsky cello concerto also on the disc is haunting too. I really would recommend this disc.

I adore Janacek. The chamber music is, as you say, really powerful. All the operas are great: for some reason -- I think it's the blend of angular modernism, Slavic folk melodiesand seat-of-the-pants drama -- From the House of the Dead kills me every time. I've never managed to hear it in performance. One day ...

I'll check out the Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante. Good tip.

I remember seeing Jenufa about ten years ago and being mesmerised. Not familiar with From the House of the Dead though - i will check that out.

I know what you mean about Janacek- in fact, I find myself attracted to a lot of early twentieth century Easter European music for that Bartokian combination of traditional folk and modernist experimentation. Have you listened to much Szymanovski? The rhapsodic first violin concerto is pretty extraordinary stuff - check out the Zehetmair / CBSO / Rattle version on EMI.

A deeply interesting opera. The libretto sticks quite closely to Goethe's play (well, as close as is possible: Goethe's Faust takes the best part of a day to perform). If you find Verdi a bit "safe", give this a listen.

A couple more recommendations I have been listening to this week, one a disc I have loved for years and was revisiting yesterday - another Mischa Maisky disc, his recording on DG with Daria Hovora of Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata and Songs without Words, beautifully played and recorded both; and a new disc I picked up a few weeks ago after reading about it in BBC Music - Balkan Spirit by Jordi Savali (conductor), a totally fascinating musical tour of a region whose music I am far from familiar with - some haunting tracks notable for their beautiful harmonies alongside more upbeat folk dances - really lovely and beautifully presented too.

Yes, I have seen that set. I only own the single disc violin concertos from whenever it was originally released (late 90s I guess). Let me know your thoughts on the set as a whole - I am very tempted ...

Have just ordered the Mefostofele recording you suggested. Reading about it elsewhere it sounds like both a fascinating opera and brilliant recording. Very exciting!

Yes, I have seen that set. I only own the single disc violin concertos from whenever it was originally released (late 90s I guess). Let me know your thoughts on the set as a whole - I am very tempted ...

Have just ordered the Mefostofele recording you suggested. Reading about it elsewhere it sounds like both a fascinating opera and brilliant recording. Very exciting!

Good luck with the Boito, 'Mefistofele'. My set didn't come with a libretto, but you can download a parallel italian-English text here: